My Granola Life

I'm still learning from the whole bike-commuting experience. For example, I've discovered I hate being out in the rain when I'm not prepared (i.e. dancing, or splashing in puddles, or hiking) even more than I thought I did. I'm also re-discovering the meaning (the real meaning) of the terms "cardio" and "muscle-tone." Unsurprisingly, I'm happier about the second than the first.

In other news, I'm living more like a granola* every day. Although I've always been interested in living cheaply, reducing my carbon footprint, et cetera, I'm not sure I ever imagined I would be biking everywhere (not even taking public transportation as a usual, quotidian thing) and going to the farmer's market (where, for the first time at a farmer's market, I bought yogurt. And eggs. And smoked whitefish^, among other things) and composting and recycling and baking my own bread, making my own spaghetti sauce and pizzas and smoothies and not buying clothes things.** It's kind of fun, really. I feel more self-sufficient than ever. I haven't started planting vegetables and herbs, yet, but that's also on the list of things to do. I'm thinking tomatoes and basil to start... I'll discover whether or not my thumb is green. In the past, I've had very inconsistent success with gardening.




*I use this term with utmost respect, affection and admiration.


^Usually I just go for the veggies. The yogurt is excellent, as is the fish. Next on the list is good chicken. Free range and organic chicken, like the eggs.


**Okay, this last one has nothing to do with personal preferences. If I had my druthers, I'd still be buying pretty clothes things. It's just not in the cards at this point in my life. Sigh.

Two Wheels and a Helmet

I started biking to campus this week. It's been an adventure, a fun one so far. Here's the summary:

About three weeks ago, I went secondhand bike shopping with a friend of mine. We went to two places to find the right bike, in terms of fit, comfort (although I'm having second thoughts about that*) and price. Not only that, but the owner of the shop was really helpful, honest and friendly. Which is important, when buying a used something-or-other. Also, his shop didn't smell like weed.

The fixie I decided on wasn't finished, so I waited a week and a half for the fixing of it. When I came back, Hasan raised the seat again, and the handlebars, advised me on a lock purchase, and his employee even put on the lights. The next day I bought my helmet, which, sadly, is black, grey.... and pink. I've decided I can live it down, but pink would definitely not have been my first choice. Only, my head is too small for a uni-sex helmet, so I had to get a women's helmet.**

Luckily, I did all this bike and bike accessory purchasing before the 1st of May, so I have not yet had to spend money on public transportation this month. Which is why I got the bike in the first place. Today makes the third day I've taken my bike out, and although the seat isn't getting any comfy-er, I'm getting more comfortable on the road (and am I the only biker in Toronto obeying the laws?). I have even - get this - gone a different way home. Still getting used to seeing like a vehicle-conductor on the road (oh, wait! That's a crosswalk!). I take the back roads, the quiet ones, and the few with bike lanes, because I have a low opinion of drivers I've got plenty of sore muscles - some, even, that I'd conveniently forgotten I had. This might be in part because I have a single-speed. Tough going on those hills.

Anyways, that's the story. I plan on having lots more (safe) adventures on my bike this summer. I am now powering my own transportation!! I wonder if houses with solar panels are this proud to be green...





* I'd sort of forgotten how uncomfortable biking can be. I remembered, in that vague "I-remember-this-used-to-be-uncomfortable-in-some-way" way, but not really. Now, after riding my bike six times in the past four days, I remember quite clearly.

**It still puzzles me that things labeled "for women" are quite frequently pink. Haven't we gotten over the pink-is-female thing?

Another Crazy Weekend and A New Drink Recipe

Last Saturday my cousin got married. The ceremony was lovely, the reception fun... and a good time was had by (well, me, at least).Not many people danced, and after the reception ended, the DJ thanked my sister and me for dancing, since we pretty much held up the dance floor. It must be awful to DJ an event at which nobody dances.

Attending the wedding involved some more crazy travels and much less sleep than I'm used to. I'm definitely ready for a boring weekend where I try to get up early and get my reading done! I flew out on Friday, and got back on Monday just in time to go directly to class, where I had to turn in an assignment. After I ate, and edited another assignment due that evening, I had another class and was feeling pretty ill, thanks to the dry, recycled air on the planes and the changing pressures during flight.

Since my siblings and I were all home at the same time for the wedding, we decided to have an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner, so we all got to eat some amazing food and share some good times with family and friends, even though it wasn't really Thanksgiving (Canadian OR American). I discovered my new favorite cocktail, which is called a Sporran Cooler (see the link for Wikipedia's definition, which matches up with my experience). For your future delectation, I will provide the recipe here:

Sporran Cooler:
2 1 msr Drambuie
1 msr fresh lemon juice
1 (approximate) tsp Grenadine
(Hefty) splash of Bitters
4 msr soda water

Msr = approximately 1 oz
(...) are peculiar to my own style of mixing.
It turns out this really pretty pink/peachy colored drink, fruity and honeyed with a bit of a tart kick.

I may have to stop by the liquor store tonight as well as the grocery store, given my nearly-empty "bar", which at the moment contains a half-bottle of Drambuie.

Well, the reading doesn't get done by osmosis, so I'd better get back to work. If you try the drink recipe, tell me what you think, and if you changed it up at all! I'd be interested to know others' takes on it.

Wait, wait! Where are the Tokens?

We're on our way home last night after seeing a great (read: funny) stand-up comedy show. In the subway station, we get in line to ride the streetcar to our hostel.

Four minutes to go.

I discover I'm not holding a token in my hand, and can't recall putting it in my pockets. I start digging around in them, just in case. I look over, horrified. I lost my token! How am I going to get on the streetcar without payment?

He starts looking too, but can't find his either.

After several long seconds of searching,

"Oh yeah! We used them to get into the Metro station!"

Pause.

Then, "I wish we were drunk, and not sober. Then we'd have an excuse."

Changes

I used to Metro to work. I even liked it, some days. Maybe even half the time. And I walked halfway. I enjoyed that walk, in every season but winter.

These days, things have changed. The only walk I have is the walk from my car to the building, and I don't use public transportation at all. I do get a pass onto the HOV lanes, because I drive a clean-fueled Civic Hybrid, but I hardly feel that's a really "green" activity, given I'm not actually carpooling.

The not-green advantages to driving to work:
I've learned how to parallel park, and pretty well, too. Something that needs to be self-taught around here, frustratingly - I know I for one didn't get tested on that before getting my license. The downside to this advantage? Nobody else knows how to, either. Advantage number two: the commute is much shorter, cut about in half. Thirdly, my route takes me down the GW Parkway, which is leafy and comes with a view of the river.

I soothe my conscience by remembering that I do drive a Hybrid, and that I won't be making this drive for much longer.

Washington DC Sober Ride

Sometimes working for the government is surprisingly useful... an email I just received, for your edification (especially if you live in the Washington, D.C. area):


*** FOR INFORMATION ONLY ***
The Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) 2009 Holiday SoberRide program will be offered from 2200 to 0600 each night, beginning Friday, 11 December 2009 and ending at 0600, Friday, 1 January 2010. To receive a free cab ride home (up to a $50.00 fare), please call 800-200-8294 (TAXI) or #8294 (TAXI) on your AT&T wireless phone. You must be 21 years of age or older to use the SoberRide service.

Click here for more information: http://www.wrap.org/soberride/

Even if you don't live in this area, it might be worthwhile looking into other regional sober ride programs.

World Car Free Day - It Does Exist!

So here's an article I meant to post ages ago (and if I have, and I've forgotten, I apologize for the repeat but really I'm too lazy to go back through all my other posts to check).

Written by a columnist at the Washington Post, who comes to some interesting and sometimes obvious conclusions. Well, obvious to someone who doesn't own a car, at least... Anyway, here it is.

The only thing I'm not sure about, at least in Washington, DC, is whether or not it's cheaper to commute via public transportation, or via personal vehicle. I know Boston's T costs less for commuters than our Metro, and that sort of variation can make an enormous difference in how affordable public transportation is. Furthermore, I suppose it would depend on what kind of car one drove, and whether it qualifies as "green machine" or alternatively as "gas-guzzling monster".

If The Bike Fits...

How to make sure a bike fits correctly (yes, bikes are not one-size-fits-all):

http://tinyurl.com/5m5gyy

Courtesy, REI.

Transportation: Post-Philadelphia Notes

I really imagined that I would have (free) internet access during my stay in Philadelphia for the American Association of Museums annual conference. Because I despise the corporate Man, I decided to snub the $12-something fee at the hotel to use the internet. Just think, if everyone at the hotel paid for internet use, what percentage of profit would the hotel make?? The answer: a disgusting percentage.

So, the belated transportation highlights:

I'm so used to long travelling days (think Boston, New Hampshire, Scotland, Nashville...) that a trip to Philadelphia even via train felt like no trip at all. Typically, the one day I need to be at my destination On Time in the morning, the Metro fails. Perhaps I started a bit late, but even so, two trains were offloaded in front of me. One as I prepared to board. Pretty frantic, because I was running late and had less time than I'd thought to get to Union Station and board the train, I trekked back up to the surface to call for a Rescue. Managed to obtain a ride to the station, but with traffic and the already late time, nearly missed the train! From getting on at the last minute, it was a very relaxing and short ride to 30th Street in downtown Philadelphia.

Downtown Philly is not as attractive as I'd remembered it from the last time I was there, but that may be because we drove down the Franklin Parkway the first time, which is one of the prettier sections of the city. The historic district has some pretty parks and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier (did you know burials started in 1706? Not just a war memorial...) One of the most startling things about Philadelphia is the walkability of it.

One evening we went to Pat's King of Steaks, the origin of the Philly Cheesesteak. On Passyunk Ave, we took a taxi from downtown, thinking it would be a very long walk. Instead of trying to call a cab from there when we finished (the cheesesteaks were great, by the way - but I don't think I'd be going frequently even if I did live in Philly), we decided to walk North for a little while in hopes of coming to a more taxi-trafficked area. Much to our surprise, we walked all the way to the historic district in twenty minutes or so!

The rest of our stay definitely did not involve much walking at all, as our hotel was situated across the street from the Convention Center. Even avoided most of the rain by using the covered walkway! Hurray for covered walkways.

That about covers transportation in Philadelphia. Remember, trains are easy, spacious, and relatively cheaper than travelling by air! No checked luggage fees, for one thing...

American Association of Museums Meets in Philadelphia

Well, I'm off to Philly tomorrow for a professional conference, where I expect to be busy most of every day taking seminars, listening to intelligent people speak, and taking notes. I'm quite excited about it, except for the usual travelling jitters (must make sure to pack Everything, unless it's easily purchased at a drug store anywhere in the country, MUST leave in time to make the train, cross my fingers the tickets are correct...) I'm feeling quite excited. The weather promises to be less than stellar, but L.A. next week is going to make up for that, I'm sure.

Because I'm not sure I'll be able to post from Philly (I know, who travels without a laptop these days?! - Besides me, of course) most of the weekend will constitute me listening to seminars and taking notes (per the above mention) and of course meeting people in the museum field, and going to meals when I have the time. On Monday, I'll be taking an inside tour of Pennsbury manor that promises to be very interesting, with a behind-the-scenes aspect and a light lunch with staff and other guests. Very excited about that one, for sure.

Now I just need to dust off my networking skills, and finish my check-off list. Here's hoping I learn very interesting things and meet many interesting people.

Did I mention I'm taking the train? So very excited about that, even though it does add jitters. I like trains. No baggage fees, greater baggage allowances, more leg and elbow room... snack cars! Big windows...

Another Green Website

I can't remember exactly how I found myself at The Good Human, but it appears to be well-researched website with similar concerns and interests to this blog. So I've decided to put a link here so I'm less likely to lose the address.

Unfortunately there isn't much information on the site's creator, but there is an informal "mission statement" of sorts, which seems genuine.

The article that brought me to the website has a global perspective and concerns cars - specifically, amazingly fuel efficient cars manufactured in Europe and other parts of the world that aren't the United States of America, that run on newer, cleaner diesel fuel technology and get from 50-61.8mpg. Granted, there's no link to the source of the information, but he does mention Top Gear, and I've found some stats on the two cars Good Human mentions. For more info on the VW Polo BlueMotion, click here. Well, and I didn't find further info on the Subaru Legacy. The first though, seems to

At any rate, take a glance, let me know what you think, if you're interested.

And for a POW! of a finish, read this funny article about the most optimal vehicle ever.

Calling All Non-Drivers

Stumbled across this article and this website while searching for legal get-rich-quick schemes. Though concerning the latter, it looks like I'll just have to practice frugality, instead. Sigh.

And a little randomly, I found several articles about how to get started in the Slow Food (USA) Movement.

Welcome 2009!!

Happy New Year!

I had a great time last night, but must confess I didn't have fun as green-ly as I could have. What with the weather (Chicago/St Andrews style winds and cold, cold temperatures), high heels and a nice dress, I opted not to walk much - and took taxis instead. I did Metro in to the city, and shared my taxi with others, but in warmer weather I hope to walk/Metro more. Unless I forget to invest in lower-heeled shoes. Which could happen.

The first taxi ride involved much hilarity - we called two, and got them after some confusion ... but there were nine of us. Which made the second cab awkwardly full. Our driver, a character, muttered about getting into trouble for having four people squished uncomfortably into the back seat, and asked one of us to duck down. So three of us took turns, the guy maintaining that it would give the game away to have one guy in the back, then just girls, and then a guy again when he traded ducking positions with one of us girls. I laughed so hard I cried, and most likely smudged my oh-so-carefully-applied mascara.

New Year's Day I plan to spend home, watching plenty of sports on TV (two hockey games and soccer and the Rose Bowl!!) Maybe I'll walk to the grocery store, and maybe I'll starve... In all, a greener day in the transportation department.

Responsibility

Is recycling a responsibility? Yes. To nature, to all living things on Earth, and to the future generations of said life.

For whom should recycling become a responsibility, and who should recycle? Individuals, corporations, government - everyone plays a part.

Is it always convenient, or an easy responsibility to perform? No. Sometimes counties, cities, municipalities, apartments, condominiums, or neighborhoods don't have the most convenient or complete recycling programs on offer.

Does this mean that people should only recycle when it's convenient? Emphatically, no! If everyone only did what was convenient in every aspect of his or her life, then our societies would be in chaos. Imagine a father not caring for his children because it's inconvenient. Or a daughter not looking after her aging mother because it's not convenient. Try employers not going to work because it's inconvenient. What about corporations who don't look out for their employees because it's easier and more convenient to look out for the big head at the top? Or people as a whole not participating in government elections and procedures because maybe it's not convenient to stand in line for four hours just to cast a vote. There are other examples I haven't listed, but I'm sure the idea comes across.

I have now taken on the responsibility of recycling for my whole apartment (that's three people total, and a lot of recycling!). Because, my roommates don't worry about recycling - it's not a concern of theirs, that the landfills grow bigger every day, that toxic chemicals are left sitting around, that plastic and styrofoam are left to decay over thousands of years. Granted, I'm not perfect - I bought a coffee this morning that came in a styrofoam cup. Had I thought of that as I passed Starbucks, I may have changed my mind and bought coffee there. I didn't.

What bothers my roommates are appearances. So having bags of recycling in the kitchen and the living room bothers them, because it doesn't look pretty. Nevermind that the landfills are much, MUCH uglier than our crowded kitchen. The other reason for their lack of motivation to recycle is that our apartment has just the bare minimum of recycling bins set out in the basement. So in order to recycle most of what we don't throw away (which is paperboard, as opposed to glass and plastic, and white paper, as opposed to newspapers) must be recycled at the local recycling center. Read here to find out more about recycling in your area. Our center is only about four blocks away, a two minute drive... a trip I can't make by myself, as I don't own or have regular use of a car. Though I am going to look in to Zipcars. Someday. I may be able to walk to the grocery store, but there's really no practical way to walk to the recycling center, with all the recycling we have.

But. My roommates don't care to drive there. Because they just don't want to. Personally, I think sorting and throwing things into bins and or dumpsters is kind of fun, especially if you're along with a friend. I'm not the only one, either. Well, I've looked for the quote and can't find it, but to paraphrase: Will Ferrell has said he looks forward to driving up to the recycling center in his plug-in hybrid.

They don't have the time, yet there are 24 usable hours in every day (watch Empire Records to find that quote). Sure, subtract some hours for sleep, and on weekdays some for work, and for hanging out - how many people don't have downtime during the week? An hour? That's all it takes.

So, even though I'm not as concerned about appearances as my roommates, I am the only one who cares about the future of the planet. Did I mention I turn off lights we're not using? And I make sure the TV and cable are off when we're not using them? And I unplug appliances that aren't in use, even if they're off. Pat yourself on the back if you do, too. Because degrees of cleanliness reflect on one's immediate surroundings, and on a small, small part of our individual worlds, but recycling positively affects our entire Earth, and everyone in it.

Montpelier

I had originally planned to go hiking yesterday, to Marys Rock where supposedly the bird-watching in autumn is excellent, due to the migrations of various birds of prey. Instead, I chose to visit Montpelier, restored home of president James Madison. They just finished restoring it recently, and had their grand opening last week, I believe. Unfortunately, "finished" did not include furniture. Some of the walls were painted, most were coated with varying stages of plaster application (there are three different coats if one chooses the plaster route, apparently). Unfinished rooms aside, it's a beautiful home for the most part, with the most amazing triple-paned windows (designed by Thomas Jefferson) in the drawing room, which opened far enough to become doors! Aside from the main house, I walked through a very small cottage, built probably at the end of the 19th century, which was used for guests in the early 20th century (rustic vacation, anyone?), checked out the gardens briefly - I love gardens, but the very formal style I just don't find interesting or beautiful at all; and briefly peered at the furniture, which is being kept in a barn for the time being. Lastly, I went for a walk in the Landmark Forest, which had three trails that added up to about a mile of walking. I had to quit early, though, because I wasn't enjoying it nearly as much as I should have. The potential existed, it merely stopped short of being realized. I must have been the first person in months to walk the paths, as I kept running into spiderwebs running across the path - some with spiders still in them! Shudder. On the way back, managed 43 mpg, going pretty much the speed limit (attention drivers! Driving the speed limit does have its advantages), though I burned quite a bit trying to pass a couple cars that could not achieve a consistent speed. Note to self...

Boston, Day 4: the MFA

Got up early this morning to have breakfast (coffee yummm and cereal) and headed over to visit with my other family in Topsfield. Got a tutorial from my eleven year-old cousin on how to solve a Rubik's cube - apparently she and her brother watched a video on YouTube which explained the theories and "algorithms" behind solving the puzzle. The whole thing was very impressive, and way over my head.

After a game of Bananagrams (in ways, much more fun than Scrabble) and headed into Boston to see the MFA, where I dragged my poor cousins through the sections full of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman art and history. The Greek pottery was interesting - such fascinating subjects painted on pots, vases and amphoras. We also got to see the exhibit on Art Nouveau Jewelry, which included plenty of beautiful pieces. Made me want to go jewelry shopping! Also I've decided someday, when I have a place for it, I'm going to find a replica amphora of red figured Greek pottery, or whatever the technical term is.

That evening, we stopped by the Gelateria in North End to have traditional Italian-style ice cream (I missed it; it's much better than American ice cream, IMO)

The train ride home was long, but uneventful. It's almost good to be back.

Things Metro Could Learn from T

1. Flat rate fees (each T ride is only $2! Imagine that...)
2. Day, weekly, monthly passes. Seriously. Discounted fares for these passes. This might (gasp!) lead to more commuters using Metro.
3. Following on from #2, let's update and repair the system, so more commuters can ride without worrying about it falling apart.
4. Increase the number of neighborhoods in the DC Metro area serviced by Metro (excepting maybe Baltimore, that might be a little ridiculous).
5. Service to Dulles (with a cool color like silver). I know this has been in and out of the works for a while now, but let's get a move on!
6. More advertisements (hey, more revenue so you don't have to overcharge your customers!).
7. This has been said before, but it is possible that the escalators don't need to run constantly - motion detectors would reduce energy usage and cost to keep them running and maintained.

Boston, Day 3: Or Rather, Topsfield

Today I was supposed to travel on the commuter rail from Boston to North Beverly. No go. I get to the station, and follow signs for "tickes". I wait in line, and find out that the ticket counters are only for buses, and the actual train station is in a different building. By this time, I'm cutting it short. I get to the train station, and I stand in line again, and just before I get to the only open counter, I realize I'm traveling north, and I'm at South Station. No biggie, I thought, I'll just get to North Station and take the next train. So I call my friend for a ride, but she doesn't pick up... so I call my family, to let them know I'll probably be a little late, having run into a tiny hitch in my travel plans. However, it turned out to be easier to take the T all the way to the end instead, and get a ride from there. So I had to find a map or a Person, who could explain to me the easiest way to get from the wrong station to North Station to North Beverly... My only recommendation for the MBTA is that they consolidate North and South Stations, so careless travelers such as myself don't make the mistake of going to the wrong one and end up missing their trains. Ah well. It all worked out.

I spent part of the afternoon lounging on a boat in Marblehead, which was incredibly enjoyable and relaxing. I recommend boating for stressed people. Seriously. We went on a little tour of the harbor, which was pleasant. We also looked at and commented on all the little, big and bigger boats on the water and the mansions on the shore. Evidently there's one house with a collection of Dutch Masters. Do you think if I ask nicely he'll give me a tour?

The last and possibly greatest news, is that I had Lobster!! Yes indeed, I had the most wonderful dinner that started with the sweetest, tastiest lobster I've had in a while. Mmmmm. Pretty soon I'll be a lobster-eating expert. I already know that 3-5 inches of water is considered fine for the pot when boiling them. And although we didn't race the lobsters tonight, there's no saying that tradition won't be reinstated in the near future. I think I'll start planning my next trip to Boston... ;)

Tomorrow is unfortunately my last day in Massachusetts, but I have great plans for that, too. Stand by.

A Couple of Green Thoughts From Boston

First up: Transportation. I rode the 'Green' (how appropriate) line today, no mistakes or mishaps! The 'T' is very different from the Washington, DC Metro - similar to Chicago's 'El' in my opinion, though I've only ridden each of those a couple of times. The 'T' feels more like a trolley than a subway, but that's maybe only because the 'B' line is mostly above ground. Fun to ride, but hard to balance if there's no room to sit. Plenty of times I thought I'd pitch right into another unsuspecting passenger, but thankfully that never actually happened.

Secondly: Walked about 20 minutes this morning to find a local coffee shop where I could have breakfast, and ended up at one that advertised ice cream as well - the coffee wasn't bad, but what's the deal with coffee shops immediately offering throwaway cups even after you tell them you'd like to eat in? Not only that, but this particular coffee shop offered me my scone on a plastic plate. How many of those do they run through in a month, I wonder?

A Quick Note On Vacation

I did it! I have tickets for Nashville. Travel itinerary still to be worked out, but I have a month to do that.

In other news, tomorrow I leave for Boston! Spent some time last night congratulating myself on getting tickets for a train that leaves at 11am... so I can sleep in a little bit tomorrow, if I manage to finish packing tonight. Note to self: Charge iPod.

I'll try to keep a travel diary here for the weekends I'm away, and will try to include some greenery in both the travel and the diary, to keep with the theme of the blog.

More to come from Boston!